Feature film Saving David Fifita is set to hit cinemas in time for the July school holidays. The family-friendly blockbuster follows the NRL champion and the efforts of two clubs to bail him out of messy legal situations, as well as his attempts to win The Frownlow Medal.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.
Fifita takes centre stage in the fast-paced flick which details his time in police custody in Bali, and his trespassing charge in Queensland in late 2020, as well as the efforts of the Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast Titans to save their highly-paid star and get him back onto the footy field.
The Queensland Origin star was arrested in December 2020 after trespassing at a Gold Coast property. Residents claim an intoxicated Fifita walked into a bedroom where a woman was sleeping, and they called the police. Fifita was then arrested on the street, but he was released with a caution, because he claimed he was simply looking for another resident and accidentally walked into the wrong bedroom.
The NRL has since reopened the investigation into the incident, and Fifita has earned a third Frownlow nomination, because it has been revealed the Titans arranged a $10,000 payment to the property residents. As a result, Fifita is expected to be served a breach notice, and could miss game 2 of State of Origin.
Saving David Fifita also features previously unseen footage of the Broncos bailing him out of jail in Bali in 2019, when he earned his first Frownlow nomination. The rampaging back-rower was arrested for an alleged assault outside a nightclub in Seminyak. On that occasion, he was freed after a representative from the Broncos flew to Bali to arrange his release. Exactly how that release was secured is known to only a few people. What is known is that after the Broncos got him out of police custody in a foreign country, Fifita signed with the Titans.
It is believed the Titans have now established the Fifita Fund, and are putting money aside in case their star player needs to be saved from the law in the future.
Saving David Fifita will screen at all major cinemas throughout July. Check local guides for details.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 